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Steel Century Groove – Review

Imagine a world where people battle with robots? Heard that before? What if those robots didn’t fight but had a dance-off instead? As crazy as it may sound, Sloth Gloss Games’ new game Steel Century Groove provides just that! It’s a rhythm game where funky robots dance it out to become the very best! Featuring 24 unique battle songs, as well as the option to add your own music, this game is bound to keep you grooving all century long! Story  In a rather familiar setting, Steel Century Groove starts with the main character waking up on their birthday. They live with their mom, have a best friend, and a rival who calls the player a flop. Once outside, they are tasked to deliver a package to the professor, and after a failed battle with a broken Tenzerk (that’s what the mechs are called in this world), the professor allows you to choose one of three different robots to use instead.   All of this sounds most likely quite familiar to fans of the famous Pokémon-franchise. Truth be told, the story follows most of the initial plot with added jokes to fit the mold of the universe this game is trying to establish. Rather than making it a blatant rip-off, Steel Century Groove parodies the well-known game series rather than copying it. .   Graphics  Taking place in a 3D-animated world, Steel Century Groove puts more effort into what it is all about: The Mechs. The initial character creation features enough variety and flexibility that everyone can feel included. However, the world and buildings are done in a more simplistic art style. If you are looking for a pretty game, this might not be your thing, unless you can look past the backdrops and less important visuals of the game. However, all the hard work is put into the Tenzerks’ appearances, as every robot you face is modeled beautifully and uniquely. Furthermore, the animations of the dancing robots were done smoothly as well. When you aren’t focusing on the rhythm game and take a moment to watch the mechs in action, you’ll find yourself both amazed and amused by the funky and exaggerated moves of our mechanical friends. As for the layout of the main game mechanic, the rhythm game, they seem to be very well thought out. Because there is a lot to pay attention to, Steel Century Groove tries its best not to clutter the screen by making use of big and bold icons, so the player knows what is always going on. Though intimidating at first, once the player is used to how everything looks, they’ll come to appreciate the way how Sloth Gloss Games approached the overall look. Sound  Naturally, given that this is a rhythm game, sound is probably the most important feature in this game. Featuring 24 unique battle songs, you are bound to get into the groove during the battles throughout the story. All the songs included in Century Groove can be categorized in the techno genre, but for those who don’t vibe with this style, there is the option to include your own MP3 files. Lastly, there is also an option to enable streamer mode so that the game only plays original music to avoid any issues on online platforms. One rather off-putting factor in the sound department, however, is that once a battle is finished, the song will ‘crash’ in slow motion. This is the game’s way to indicate that the fight is over, and of course, there’s no more need for the music to play. Even if you end up victorious, the connotation around the sound effect used gives the impression that something has gone awry, and you have lost. Aside from this nitpicky issue, we found ourselves jamming along to almost every song in Steel Century Groove’s soundtrack. Luckily, it’s also available to be sold separately on Steam. Gameplay  There are three main parts that can be discussed within Steel Century Groove. The first part is the usual RPG-like aspect where the player goes from point A to B and speaks to people along the way. As the player goes on, they will encounter other Tenzerk pilots, and as per the rules, upon making eye contact, they will battle one another. Further on, they will also find jars that hold mods for their mechs, which brings us to the second part. After receiving your first mod, it is possible to modify your Tenzerk robots. This allows you to equip items to the mechs to give them new abilities, passives, and/or upgraded stats. By acquiring various mods, the player is encouraged to mix and match to see what fits their needs or bypass what their mech was originally lacking. Then, last but not least, the actual battle(s) and the third main part of the gameplay. Players who are familiar with Osu! will immediately recognize the way the rhythm game works. A trail appears on the screen with giant circles. A small dot will follow said trail, and upon reaching the big circles, the player presses one of their abilities or keys to gain fame. This all happens along the beat of whichever song is playing in the background. Whichever Tenzerk fills their fame bar first, wins! Luckily, if you’re new to the genre or want a more casual experience, the game does allow you to pick a difficulty level at the start of the game. Conclusion  If you are a fan of giant robots, techno music, or are simply looking for a casual rhythm game, Steel Century Groove will be exactly what you are looking for. Though visually not the most appealing game, the audio and unserious humor implemented make up for whatever it may be lacking. We do recommend waiting for the game to go on sale, however, as €19,99 feels just a little too steep for what the game essentially offers.